A method is described in European Patent No. EP 1 086 307. This document describes a fuel system in which the quantity pumped by a high-pressure fuel pump and the opening pressure of a pressure regulating valve connected to a fuel pressure accumulator may be influenced. Both the high-pressure fuel pump and the pressure regulating valve are triggered by a controller, with the help of which a certain pressure may be set or adjusted in the fuel pressure accumulator. Precontrol is provided to increase the dynamics and precision of the pressure regulation. The pressure regulating valve is precontrolled as a function of, among other things, a setpoint pressure in the fuel pressure accumulator.